Table of Contents:
NOT SO ANCIENT.
SHOULD SEE BELLAGIO
OTHER POSSIBILITIES.
Where is Bellagio?
Is it a hotel in Las Vegas?
Bellagio sits at the northern tip of a triangular peninsula that juts into Lake Como. This makes the lake look like an upside-down “Y.” At the lower left (west) corner of the lake is the town of Como. It sits less than six miles from the Swiss border.
At the lower right (east) is Lekko Italy. A wonderful lakefront town few Americans ever find.
In all fairness, it took a while for anyone to find it.
The first visitor was the ice age, cutting deep valleys between the mountains that would later fill with water from the runoff.
Ancient Bellagio
There are a few signs of a human presence during the Paleolithic Period (10,000 B.C.), but very few and not giving up many clues.
Circa 520 B.C., groups of Celts from Gaul (later Spain and France) invade under the command of Bellovesus. “Legend,” says this is where Bellagio gets its name. It could happen.
The Latin name Bi-lacus (between the lakes) is probably the real origin of the name.
By 225 B.C., the Romans are just about everywhere. They make Bellagio a garrison for the wintering Roman armies guarding the main route to today’s Switzerland and Bavaria.
Circa 80 B.C., Cornelius Scipio, a member of a politically active Roman family, imports 3,000 Latin colonists to Lake Como. Twenty years later, Julius Caesar imports another 5000 colonists, including 500 Greeks from Sicily.
If you shake a Bellagio family tree hard enough, you’ll probably find more than just Italian roots.
The Romans import olive, laurel, chestnut, and cypress trees.
The Roman road passing from Italy to today’s Austria becomes more important as the Roman empire grows north. This guarantees the Como area protection and an economy supporting the troops.
Not So Ancient
Como resident Pliny the Younger, nephew of Pliny, the Elder, writes of Bellagio in several of his letters. It was a popular location for hunting and fishing with the upper Roman class.
The Roman empire will hold on to the area into the 400s A.D.
Attila, King of the Huns, visits northern Italy circa 452 A.D. and sacks nearby Milan.
During the Gothic War, circa 539, the Ostrogoths destroy Milan.
Bellagio manages to stay out of the direct line of fire.
Middle Ages
Around 568 the Lombards, march into the Po Valley and begin settling all over the region. The area will derive the name Lombardy from these invaders.
The fortress at Bellagio manages to hold them off, but by 744, the Lombard King Liutprand uses it as a residence.
Circa 773, the Franks following their king, Charlemagne, arrive from France claiming P{iedmont, then Lombardy during their march. They divide Lombard into counties and put nobles in charge of the crown’s land. Vassels and peasants will support them, and we have medieval feudalism. Bellagio is in the county of Milan.
Charlemagne declares himself the King of the Lombards. Circa 800, he has the Pope declare him the Holy Roman Emperor.
However, the king does not do much for the Lombardy region, and Milan and Bellagio’s finances dwindle. Soon the once Imperial capital of Milan is nothing more than a county seat.
Circa 834, Charlemagne’s grandson Lothair, after deposing his father, Charlemagne’s son, sides with the church. He turns the territory of Limonta and Civenna over to the monks of Saint Ambrose of Milan. In feudal style, these territories must turn over some of their products to the monks. Later, this will become the parish of St John (Bellagio), and the monks continue to receive their dues.
More Germans
The Dukes of Milan
In the late 1200s, Bellagio becomes part of the House of Visconti, who later become the Dukes of Milan.
The Visconti will rule until 1447. After a short power struggle, Milan is under the rule of Francesco Sforza.
Bellagio, whose territory and fortress house Sforza’s troops during this struggle, follow Sforza’s rule.
The House of Sforza (sf rtza) attacks, schemes, and marries themselves into vast holdings in and around Milan.
Ludovico Sforza, takes Bellagio from the bishop of Como and gifts it to his friend Francesco Sfondrati.
Circa 1499, during the Italian Wars, the army of the French king captures Milan.
Sixteen years later, Imperial troops from Germany retake Milan, placing Maximilian Sforza, Ludovico’s oldest son, as Duke of Milan.
Unfortunately, three years later (1515), the French return and imprison him.
Circa 1521, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (of the newly rising Hapsburgs) drives out the French. He names Maximilian’s younger brother, Francesco Sforza, as Duke.
Circa 1533, Francesco Sfondrati, married to a Visconti, had acquired the fiefdom of Bellagio
When Francisco passes in 1535 without an heir, the Duchy goes to Charles V. He names his son, Philip I, as the Duke of Milan.
Bellagio in the Turmoil
Francesco Sfondrati, still in control of Bellagio, marries Anna Visconti, and they have seven children. The Sfondrati family will rule Bellagio for the next 200 years.
Due to its proximity to transportation and trade, the Sfondrati support several small industries to help support the area, including candle-making and silk using the mulberry trees.
Spanish Rule
Philip I is the Emperor’s son, who is also the Spanish king, Charles V and Isabella of Portugal.
Philip, I will also hold the titles King of Spain, King of Portugal, King of Naples and Sicily. Although Queen Mary I is in charge, he is King of England and Ireland during their short four-year marriage. He will also be lord over the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, he is a devout Catholic, and that means he supports the inquisition.
Circa 1556, and the Italian war over, Philip sets up the Council of Italy to keep an eye on Milan, Naples, and Sicily. During this time, the Pope and Philip’s interests in Europe converge, leading to a temporary peace.
1629 and Bubonic Plague is back. The Great Plague of Milan decimates northern and central Italy, reducing Milan’s population by almost half. (60,000 dead).
Philip I’s descendants will remain in power until 1700 and the death of Charles II, with no male heir.
His closest heir was 16-year-old Philip of Anjou, grandson of Charles’s elder half-sister, Maria Theresa.
France and other European countries are tired of the Spanish rule and contest this. And we have the War of the Spanish Succession.
A New Owner for Milan.
By 1714, Spain gives up. France and Spain will remain as separate countries. Austria (Hapsburg) receives Hungary, most of the Spanish Netherlands, and Spain’s holdings in Italy, including most of Lombardy.
Carlo, the last of the Sfondrati, passes without an heir circa 1788.
Bellagio passes to Count Alessandro Serbelloni, a member of the Serbelloni noble family from Milan.
And then, the Frenchman Napoleon comes knocking in 1796.
The Guy With the Napoleonic Complex.
1800 and Napoleon comes, sees, and conquers. He creates two states in Italy. One between the Alps in the north and one on the Bay of Naples in the south. Circa 1802, he changes this to the Italian Republic. Then in 1805, he names it the Kingdom of Italy and appoints himself king. Milan is the capital.
By 1814 Napoleon abandons his position. The Congress of Vienna swoops in to divide. They leave the Kingdom of Italy looking like a puzzle with a few pieces missing.
They return Lombardy to Austrian control.
The Milanese, fed up with Austrian rule, begin a revolt by 1848.
Italian Wars of Independence.
From 1848 until 1860, Italy goes through two Wars of Independence and another Napoleon.
By 1860, only five states are remaining in the area that will become modern-day Italy.
- The Kingdom of Sardinia.
- Austria still has the area of Venetia.
- In the middle, there is the Papal States.
- Hidden in the east is the small area of San Marino.
- In the Southern part of the peninsula, you have the Kingdom of the Two Sicily’s. The Kingdom of Naples on the mainland, and the Kingdom of Sicily island.
Giuseppe Garibaldi, representing the Kingdom of Sardinia, sets out in May of 1860. Within a year, both Kingdoms of Sicily are part of Sardinia.
The next year, Victor Emmanuel III assembles the first Italian Parliament in Turin. Parliament proclaims him King of Italy. Italy is born.
By 1871, all of Italy except the Vatican City, San Martino, and land east of Venice are part of Italy.
World War I and Bellagio
With the beginning of WWI, we need to draw the Italian border. Specifically, in northeastern Italy, where Trieste, southern Tyrol, and northern Dalmatia were still part of Austria.
That puts the Italian Front Line fifty miles north of Verona and only about 100 miles east of Venice.
The Treaty of London will give these regions to Italy and give France, Russia, and British troops access to Italy’s border with Austria. 1915, Italy enters the war.
Bellagio, with the Alps between it and the front, sees little fighting or destruction.
Benito Mussolini, not happy with the war’s outcome and fed up with Socialism, forms the Squadrismo. This private militia will use violence to eliminate any political parties opposing Italian Fascism systematically.
He rallies his Blackshirts for the first time in Milan and will begin their March on Rome from here.
By October 1922, King Victor Emmanuel III hands Italy to Mussolini to set up his fascist government.
Bellagio manages to stay out of the direct line of fire. Although there are human atrocities, the towns in the area go unscathed.
WWII and Bellagio.
World War II has many more planes than the first World War. The Alps are not as great of defense anymore. Due to its location and network with northern Italy, Milan is a target of many Allied bombings.
Luckily, Bellagio is not one of the main targets.
The public opinion of Mussolini begins to turn from the beginning of the war.
By July, the Allies are bombing Rome, and King Emmanuel arrests Mussolini. In September, the Germans rescue him and set him up in Gargnano, on Lake Garda east of Bellagio. But he has no power.
A month later, Italy attempts to switch sides. German forces, already in Italy, quickly occupy northern Italy until the end of the war.
Italian resistance in Bellagio is in contact with the resistance in Milan. The resistance plays a vital part in the war effort until the end.
By the end of April 1945, the Allies are liberating Torino and Milan.
The resistance captures Mussolini, his mistress, and members of his Fascist government, in Giulino, across the lake from Bellagio. They are attempting to flee to Switzerland, where they can get a plane to Spain.
By accident, the resistance shoots the entire party repeatedly. They take the bodies to Milan. In the Piazzale Loreto (now Piazza Quindici Martiri), they hang the bodies upside down where people can throw stones at them.
Post War Italian History.
After the war, Italy gets a constitution. Bellagio and Lake Como become destinations of La Dolce Vita. (The sweet life.)
Today, Bellagio is a summer destination for the wealthy Italians and a movie star or two. Tourism is relatively low. although on a July or August day, that will be hard to believe.
What is in Bellagio for me?
See & Hear.
It seems everywhere you look, there is a kodak moment. See the mountains, the lake, or charming little pedestrian streets. Sit and listen to the world go by.
Taste & Smell.
Bellagio does not have a distinct cuisine that sets it apart from the rest of Lombardy. But Lombardy cuisine will do. You will find dishes featuring fish from the lake. Occasionally, you will catch the whiff of a bakery on the fresh lake air.
Feel.
You can watch the sunset from numerous places along the lake. Sit on a bench, or grab a glass of wine on a terrace and watch the shadows crawl across the mountains.
The day is ending, but the evening has many possibilities. There may be better ways to end an afternoon, but this way doesn’t suck.
Should-See Sites.
It is hard to approach Bellagio without passing through somewhere on the way.
Many of these places are worth a stop instead of a glance.
Lecco is the approach from the southeast. I think it is what Como may have been 20-30 years ago,
Como is at the bottom of the southwest corner of the Y-shaped lake.
The town has a more commercial feel to it, but there are a few interesting sites.
From here, you can drive or access the Navigazione Lago di Como, which offers boat service to numerous towns on the lake.
Milan is an hour’s drive south of the town of Como. Train service also connects the two cities making this the gateway for many visitors.
Bellagio.
You can drive north from Como or Lecco if you have a car. And there is the ferry from Como. But you can also reach Bellagio from the east or west. Car and passenger ferry service runs from Bellagio to Caddenabbia and Menaggio on the lakes west coast.
From the lakeshore east of the Bellagio peninsula is a ferry connecting the town of Varenna with Bellagio.
Arriving or departing by water is a great option.
Most of the Bellagio streets are one-way, and there are not too many. I suggest finding a hotel near the lake so you can park and walk. During the day, parking is at a premium so inquire at your hotel where and when you can park.
There is a wonderful promenade along the waterfront from the ferry terminal south all the way to the I Giardini di Villa Melzi (botanical gardens.)
You share the pavement with one-way traffic, parking spaces, or cafes from the ferry terminal north. But it is still very walkable.
There are no ancient Greek or Roman sites to see. But that doesn’t mean they were not here.
A Walk in Bellagio.
So if there are no Greek theaters or Roman aqueducts to view in Bellagio, why go?
It is a visual overload of nature, architecture, and more.
On a clear day, the Alps are visible. There are lake views from every other bend in the path. And the fresh air and verdant scenes are everywhere else.
There is some medieval architecture.
Torre Delle Arti Bellagio – is an 11th-century tower once being part of the town’s defense. Today, it is home to an art museum hosting local and international artists.
Villa Serbelloni Rockefeller – The 500-year-old villa, once belonging to the Dukes of Bellagio, is now home to the Rockefeller Foundation.
The villa is not open to the public for walking in off the street. There are interior visits on organized tours. The villa gardens contain some rare floral species, and a guide leads a tour each morning and afternoon. The views from the top over the town and lake are stunning.
Basilica of San Giacomo – is a 12th-century church, although several restorations have taken place. Inside, you can find frescoes, sculptures, and side chapels that will take you to a different century. The church is near the top of the historic district, adjacent to Torre Delle Arti Bellagio.
Come, We Are Walking.
Before 10:00 A.M, and after 5:00 P.M., just walking through town can be enjoyable.
The crowds are gone, and many remaining are locals.
As you depart the ferry, straight ahead across the street sits the once-grand jewel in the Bellagio crown. The 1873 Hotel Grande Bretagne. Offering the new electric lightbulbs, it was one of three grande hotels in Bellagio by 1888. By 1932, they add a casino, but Mussolini moves it to another town a few years later.
By 1972, the hotel closes, and a few years later, the hotel school also at this location. There are plans and drawings to return it to its former glory. However, as of my last visit in 2018, it was still a sad sight.
You can catch a glimpse through the hedge or the gate by the bus stop at the side.
All Through the Streets of Bellagio.
Heading north from the ferry pier, you immediately see mustard stucco buildings next to red brick. It could be Positano, Portofino or one of many other seaside villages, except it’s on a lake.
Something many towns and villages in northern Italy “get” is arcades, coverings, galleries, whatever you want to call them. Coverings from the rain or pounding sunshine.
The first ones you see look like they were an add on at a later date. At least they have them.
As you walk through an arch under the Hotel Metropole, you see larger, more substantial arcades. The waterside promenade magically returns, and there is a sense of order.
I like to walk under the arcades going and return along the waterfront.
Every few storefronts look to your right. These are not streets; these are salitas. That means “climb” in English, and that’s what you do. These long staircases connect where you are standing (Via Roma) to the historic area’s upper streets.
Eat pasta with every meal; you’re getting a workout today.
These pedestrian streets are like an advent calendar. Behind this door is a house, this door is a cafe, and this one is a charming hotel. One of the best activities is to wander and see if you can lose yourself. The town is 2-3 blocks wide and eight blocks long. You cannot get too lost.
End of the Road.
After a few blocks, the arcade ends. I said it was not a big town. You need to turn left and cross to the promenade, but we are still heading north. Turn right, and in front of you is the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni.
It begins as a private villa circa 1850 and becomes the Grand Hotel Bellagio circa 1875. By 1918, a family purchases the hotel changing the name to the Villa Serbelloni. The same family still runs this jewel on the lake.
I have not had the chance to stay here yet.
I can say a meal on the terrace or a drink in the charming bar is a great reward at the end of your walk.
Biking.
Biking is very popular in the area – for those practicing for the Olympics. There is a lot of uphill and hairpin curves.
The easiest bike route stretches from Bellagio down the east side of the peninsula to Osso’s village. Although predominantly flat, there is more than 300 feet in elevation change. At the other end of the spectrum are routes with over 3000 feet in elevation change.
For those into biking, The Vallassina road is a must-visit by bike (or car). At the top of this brutal stretch of steep switchbacks is the Santuario Madonna del Ghisallo (the Sanctuary of Ghisallo.) Just beyond is the Cycling museum.
This stretch of road is part of the Tour of Italy and Tour of Lombardy bike races.
Other Activities.
The lakes with water running off the snowy peaks of the nearby mountains offer swimming. You first.
I will be in the thermal spa at one of the hotels.
There is hiking, or you can hire a boat or join a lake cruise.
There is little to see from the street side except for a wall. Also, if you are not local, you will meet a local law officer.
The best views are from the lake and, by law, also requires social distancing of several hundred feet.
Lake Como Region.
The region is like a wonderful old book store. You go into the town of Como, and you think you know everything that’s there. But you don’t.
You find this nook that you didn’t see a moment ago.
And then you find the next room. You cannot even see it from the front door, but it’s there with numerous more shelves and selections.
The towns along Lake Como are like this. Each one full of new treats, many you did not know were there.
Cernobbio.
Along the west coast of the lake, less than 30 minutes north of Como town, is Cernobbio, Italy.
Where it actually begins and ends, I think only the postman knows.
The Villa d’Este Hotel sits on the shore of the lake here. This five-star resort is in a 16th-century royal residence.
Only hotel guests may enter the grounds.
Tremezzo.
The Villa Carlotta is a royal residence from the late 17th century, which is now open to the public. You can tour the residence with its impressive furnishings and art collection. The gardens are equally impressive.
- Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo
The drive from Como to Tremezzo can take anywhere from 35 minutes to three hours. It depends on how many times you stop to take pictures. I prefer the morning as the early sun rays are just hitting the houses on the hill.
- The morning sun is just reaching Cernobbio.
Bellagio Summary.
By boat and foot, you can explore most of the area. I find I relax here, not something in my usual repertoire.
And if you get off the main street, you will find many cafes full of locals. Some may be up a flight of stairs so remember to look up—that flight of stairs justifies my dessert.
Bellagio is a great place to go and not plan, especially in the spring and fall. Many places, including hotels, close from November thru March.
Bellagio è bellissimo!